A Complete Nutritional Support Formula for Newborn, Sick or Injured Birds
350g Bag
Uses
- For new-born chicks when hand-feeding from day 1 or 2.
- For birds and animals needing an easily assimilated source of nutrients.
- For medical and surgical patients that are recovering from pansystemic failure.
- For nutritional support of a bird during the transition phase of a diet change.
- For birds and animals in which anorexia has slowed gastrointestinal emptying time.
- Also used as a handfeeding diet for growth from hatching to fledging of small insectivorous birds with an apparent inability to digest cornstarch. Species include bushtits, wrentits, vireos, wrens & smaller flycatchers and warblers.
Feeding directions
Caution: The correct feeding technique must be used in order to prevent injury to the bird or inhalation of the formula that could result in pneumonia or death.
Directions
Step 1: Gently feel the crop to determine that it is almost empty before feeding.
Step 2: Mix fresh: 1 part dry formula to 1-3 parts bottled “drinking water” heated to approximately 103°F (39°C). Do not microwave. Allow to cool to lukewarm.
Step 3: Feeding with a tube is probably the most universally successful technique. As one faces the bird, position the tube to enter the oral cavity from the left side of the bird’s beak and direct it toward the right side of the bird’s neck. Deposit the food into the bird’s crop.
Step 4: Feed the bird until the crop is full but not overstuffed and clean the excess formula from the bird’s beak, feathers and enclosure. Repeat as often as needed to maintain or increase the bird’s body weight.
Feeding volumes
For further information on usual daily feeding volumes, please see this information page.
| Chick size/species | 0 - 7 days | 7 - 21 days | 21 days to weaning |
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| Psittacines, doves and pigeons | Recovery Formula | Mix of Recovery and Juvenile Formulas - see * below | Juvenile Formula |
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| Cockatiels | Recovery Formula | Juvenile Formula |
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| Finches, passerines, small insectivorous birds with an apparent inability to digest cornstarch | Recovery Formula |
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* From 8 days old onwards, each day incrementally decrease the level of Recovery Formula in the hand-rearing mix and substitute with Juvenile Formula so that on day 21 the mix is 100% Juvenile Formula.
^ Cockatiels have a more rapid rate of growth and feather production than other birds, and therefore benefit from remaining on the Recovery Formula for longer as they require a high protein (essential amino acids + energy) formulation, and a relatively high level of calcium (per unit energy) to ensure adequate mineralisation of the developing bones. Birds with a slower rate of growth (e.g. larger parrots) benefit from an earlier transition to the Juvenile Formula as too high a plane of nutrition for too long will potentially result in either tissue growth/weight being too great for the strength of the bones, or excess calories being stored as fat in the tissue or liver. With these species of birds, a lower energy input for a longer period is required to allow tissues of differing types to mature in an appropriate and parallel time frame.
Other animals
Recovery Formula can be fed to any animals which require an easily assimilated source of nutrients, whether post-surgery or as part of a general rehabilitation process.
Step 1: Mix fresh: 1 part dry formula to 2-3 parts warmed (around 39°C/103°F) drinking water, or to a desired consistency. Do not microwave. Allow to cool to lukewarm.
Step 2: Tube feed or spoon feed warmed formula based on veterinary recommendations.
Step 3: Repeat feeding as necessary to maintain or increase the animal's body weight. Recovery is a low-fibre diet and is easy to digest, therefore frequent feeding may be necessary.